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Lost Chronicles II: One World

Chapter 1 - The Beginning of the End

And so it is that I, Wisemon, shall begin the creation of a new documentation of history as it continues to transpire. The preceding day, I finished with my previous telling of history the way it was five hundred years ago.

To those of you who are familiar with my previous lore, Lilithmon’s Epic, you may or may not recall that I am able to see into the hearts of others; I can experience their emotions as my own, and I can read their thoughts, and interpret them to the written word. I can see the many pasts of our world, Arcadia, including those fortunate several who had the misfortune to never occur in the first place. I can even see into the future, and view the path down which our destiny decides to transcend…or plummet. And at this very moment, I can see that our destiny — the term “our” being used in a collective manner to refer to all known life on the several continents on Arcadia — is headed towards a very bleak and very, very lifeless path that will undoubtedly end with the destruction of all but two…but in the end, even those two shall be brought to their knees, and beg for mercy as death’s sweet embrace slowly takes them unto another plane of existence.

Now, dear reader, you could very well be asking yourself, “If the events of your previous book happened over five hundred years ago, and you are able to see the pasts and futures, why did you wait until recently to write that book?” The answer is not quite as simple as the question, I’m afraid. Yes, I do see the futures — all of them. At least, that was what I was told by her. However, some of these visages appear clearer than the others. It seems to be that the clear ones have a higher likelihood of occurring. And so one day, I saw an image of the future. A wonderful and beautiful future seemed to be but a hair’s breadth away, but to my endless regret, the visage I saw turned out to be but a falsehood. The exact opposite occurred. A horrible future filled with naught but despair is all that I could see, and it is all that I see now. That was why I waited to write the story of Lilithmon, of Zelda and Thomas, and Statuedramon. If I had interfered, like I did the time before theirs’, I risked altering the very fabric of reality. I simply had to wait for as long as I possibly could before writing their story — had I wrote simply what I had seen before their journey began, I’d have been dead wrong. I could have ruined the happy future those two truly got to experience. And now, as one still walks the earth while the other sleeps endlessly within it, I write the tale that was theirs, and prepare to write the one following it.

The continent itself hasn’t changed much; however, in this story, there will be dealings with another continent far to the east known as Cyllene. Don’t worry about the name for now, for it will not come up again until much later. As for Arcadia, everything remains basically unchanged. However, a new species of Digimon has been discovered; we call them Trailmon, train-like Digimon who can give rides to many in only a short period of time.

Now, allow me, if you will, to speak fondly of the characters you perchance had the opportunity to know and love. I speak, of course, of the members of Lachesis. Some lay dead from age or battle. Others yet live still, both grieving for the lost and celebrating the new. Several have departed on a long journey, hoping to find themselves or maybe others. The guild itself is now an ally of the Valencian Military; it is as it was; a small, but independent faction of mercenaries, and there is no more hatred between the two groups.

I myself have chosen to become a member of the mercenary guild Lachesis. This was mainly done for my newfound love for Bellaluna Rosalina, the Witch. Chrysania remained the same as ever throughout our long and happy espousal — a sweet and loveable bundle of energy. However, as she was not ours by blood, she did not inherit the Mark that I had and her mother used to have. Our own daughter did, though. Our own daughter, whom all three of us loved, was emblazoned with the mark on her left arm. But that did not stop sweet Bellaluna from loving her — she did not even complain about the gradual swelling of her belly as our daughter grew inside her. Knowing her, this shocked me somewhat.

What became of the others? I do not wish to tell everything in this prologue chapter. The fates of the others, if you wish to know, will be discussed in this second entry to my chronicles. In this story, I take somewhat of a more active role in the story (yay!), and as a result, I will undoubtedly be forced into situations where I may end up ruining a beautiful future I saw…or mayhaps bring an end to the ugly one I inadvertently helped to create oh so long ago…That story shall be told much later. If the future is still around (which, based on a very recent vision of mine, this is quite doubtful), I shall chronicle that tale. But at this very moment, this story must be told exactly as it happens. Whether I interfere and change the future or not, I must insist on writing things exactly as they occur, without worrying about the futures that could have been, and the pasts that never were. Now, as with my previous story, along with any future ones I may construct, I am able to see into the hearts and minds of any whom I choose. Therefore, I am more than capable of writing in the first person.And so, without any further ado; ladies and gentlemen, to you I humbly present Lost Chronicles II: One World.

Best Regards,~Wisemon

A lone woman walked through a rather dense forest. It was dawn, and there was a misty fog obscuring her surroundings, but this did not deter her in the slightest from her trek after several days of walking nonstop. She knew where she was going, and she had gone there countless times before. Even through the mist, one could clearly see the excitement on her lovely face. It had been a long while since she had been home, after all. However, in the back of her sharp mind, she knew she had to stay calm, and remember why exactly she had chosen to return home. This woman’s name was Heather Reed, and she was returning home to Lachesis.

"Evil can confuse you when you're staring at it straight in the face. You can hope the face of evil will change, but it won't unless you force it to change."

Chapter 2 - New Life

The young woman, Heather Reed, whom I mentioned previously, will indeed be in this story. However, she comes in a little bit later. Our story actually begins here with a young man named Matthew. Young except for the fact that he was easily over one hundred years old; however, he looked to be not a day older than seventeen years. He couldn’t quite remember. He carries that cursed Mark, emblazoned on his forehead, you see. At the moment, young Matthew Kasuto is honing his combat skills, hoping to be of some use to his allies.

Matthew KasutoValencia Province

“…And that’s four out of five targets hit directly at the center,” the small Digimon standing at my side said. “The fifth was only a few millimeters off. You’re doing great, Matt; wanna keep going?”

“I…I have to, Coronamon,” I said. I walked to the bull’s-eye targets that were pinned to several spread-out trees roughly ten feet away from me, and retrieved my practice arrows from them. “If I’m going to be an archer…If I want to be able to help my friends…I have to keep practicing. I have to keep practicing until I can hit these targets dead center — blindfolded!”

I heard Coronamon sigh as I readied my bow. “Well, you’re nothing if not tenacious, Matthew,” he said. Whok! I hit my first target right in the center. “You remind me of someone I used to know.”

“Really? Who?” Whok! I hit my second target.

“I don’t know. I…can’t remember,” Coronamon admitted. Whok! I hit my third target. “We Digimon have a difficult time remembering our previous lives after being reborn — especially us at the Rookie level, like me and Lunamon.”

“…Didn’t you say you used to be the leader of Lachesis?” I asked. I gently rubbed my right arm, easing the pain I felt from firing all of those arrows.

“…Did I?” Coronamon asked. “I can’t exactly imagine myself in a position of authority…” Whok! I hit my fourth target. “All I can remember about my previous life…The only thing I can remember is being a member of Lachesis with Lunamon. So, maybe I was a leader.”

“…How long have we been together?” I asked, lowering my bow.

“About 50 years. And still, no memories return,” Coronamon sighed. I eyed my fifth and final target. Whok! I hit it dead in the center. “Y—You did it! All right, Matthew! Way to go!” Coronamon excitedly jumped in the air, and raised his fist triumphantly. “Way to go, buddy!” I simply stood in the same place I had been, amazed at my accomplishment. It had taken me so long to be able to hit the targets at all, let alone hold a bow the correct way and pull back on the string.

“…I can’t believe I did it!” I said. “It’s taken me so long…” At that time, a cheerful and happy laughter and applause startled me; the noise was somewhere behind me, and when I turned, I saw a young woman looking gleefully in my direction. She did not appear menacing in the slightest, but the very appearance of her filled me with fear, and I stepped behind Coronamon to distance us. She was slightly taller than I was, and looked to be the same age that I looked — keeping in mind that I was over one hundred years old, of course.

“Wow, that was, like, so totally amazing!” the girl said. She took a step forward, and I took a step back. Failing to notice, she continued advancing towards me.

“S—STEP BACK!” I shouted without thinking. I held up my dark grey bow — completely backwards — in front of myself. The girl stopped walking with a surprised expression on her face, followed by an almost sad one.

“Oh, you’ll have to excuse my pal here,” Coronamon said, placing a small hand over my knee. “He’s got a bit of a…how do you say…a phobia of pretty girls.”

“Oh! Oh my gosh! Oh, I’m so sorry!” the girl said frantically. “I didn’t mean to scare you! Really, I didn’t! I was…I was just looking for, like, a house or something! Somebody told me it was in this forest!” She looked to be on the verge of tears. Seeing her like that made me feel guilty, but I was still far too nervous to say anything more.

The girl looked less scared, and after a moment, she smiled down at Coronamon. “I…I’m Giselle. Giselle Alberona.” Again, she looked up at me. “I really am sorry…I…I didn’t mean to scare you like that…”

“Hey, no harm done. Not like he’s gonna have a heart attack or anything. Oh, I’m Coronamon, and this here is my Human partner Matthew,” the short Rookie level Digimon said, shaking Giselle’s hand. “You said you were looking for a house? Perhaps the two of us could be of assistance.”

“Oh, I don’t want to be, like, an inconvenience or whatever, but I’m, like, totally lost!” Giselle laughed. My hands were deep in my pockets at this point. They were completely empty, save for one small item: A Digivice. Slowly, I ran my fingers over it as Coronamon and Giselle continued to talk, and after a moment, I removed it from my pocket to look at it. From what I was told, the one I had was the “original model,” and was called a Normal Digivice. It was small and turquoise, and fit easily in the palm of my hand. At its center was a blank screen. “Hey, you’ve got one of those, too?” Giselle’s voice snapped me out of my small trance. I looked up, and there Giselle stood, smiling at me, and with a similar device in her hand.

“…A Data Link…Digivice,” I said quietly.

“Yup! It was, like, the fifth model made by the guy who invented the Digivice!”

“…Uh huh…”

Her smile was wide, and her green eyes were shimmering with excitement. Her long brown hair was tied with a green bow that matched her eyes, and her ponytail fell to her waist. A black skirt that reached her knees swayed in the breeze, and a ruffled, burgundy shirt exposed her navel, or her entire belly when she leaped into the air with joy, which she did quite often excitedly while talking to Coronamon. She stood no more than two feet away from me, and looked at me happily but expectantly, as if she were waiting for an answer…

“It’s…okay if I join, right?” Giselle asked. “I don’t want to, like, make a big deal or whatever if you’re uncomfortable around girls…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Coronamon said. “Our group’s got a whole bunch of cute girls in it, but Matthew’s scared of them, too. Trust me; you won’t be any problem at all. We’re happy to have you with us, Giselle.”

I was finally there. I had finally arrived back home at the Lachesis fortress, deep in the forest. It was close to noon, and my stomach was growling fiercely and loudly after not having eaten anything all day. I ignored my belly, and just stood in place, admiring the large fortress. I remember hearing that it had once caught fire and was destroyed, but over time, it had been rebuilt by the knights of Valencia out of some debt they owed to our group (I hadn’t quite been informed of the details yet.) Over time, the fortress had grown to look as old as it had before it was destroyed, with various plants and mosses growing on the brick walls. A huge growl from my tummy brought me back to the present.

“Okay…let’s get you fed,” I whispered gently. After a deep breath in a failed attempt to stifle my excitement, I steadily walked through the open doorway and into Lachesis Fortress. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised…even after a few months, it all looks exactly the same…

I eventually came to the main lounge area of the fortress, where the members of our group sat comfortably to unwind, read, or speak with friends. As I stepped into the light, I was noticed instantly. Everyone I could see smiled immediately in reaction to my sudden presence, and all ran up to me. Many of them hugged me; others started talking all at once in an incomprehensible and loud chatter. The one closest to me was a young woman named Lucia. When the others noticed her, they backed away from her quickly and quietly; Lucia had a well-known reputation for being the scariest member of Lachesis. I wasn’t afraid of her, though. I knew that she was really a sweet person, and the two of us got along very well.

“…Glad to have you back, Heather,” Lucia said. At this point, the others had returned to what they had been doing before I arrived, not wishing to evoke the anger of the infamous Lucia. “What took you so long? It was a simple job. And where is Lloyd? Didn’t he come back with you?”

“Oh…it’s kind of a long story,” I replied sadly. “But right now…I just need to eat something. I’m afraid I haven’t eaten anything all day, and I’m quite famished…”

“Really now? It looks as though you’ve been eating quite well to me.” Lucia looked down, and placed a hand over my very round belly and gave it a few soft pats. “What; did you eat Lloyd or something?”

“Oh, goodness, no. But…” I looked down and smiled, placing my hands around my belly. “Well, I suppose you could say that I’m eating for more than one, now.” Lucia’s pretty face went blank for a moment; then, signs of realization twisted her lips into a large and happy smile.

“OOOOH, you’re pregnant?!” Lucia exclaimed happily. I nodded. “Oh my Goddess! Oh, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!” Lucia hugged me, and began asking questions immediately. “Is it a boy or a girl? Have you decided on a name? How many months?” It was quite unusual to see Lucia so energetic and enthusiastic, and it caught the other members of Lachesis that I could see off guard. But again, I wasn’t surprised. I knew all along that Lucia was really a kind and loving woman, in spite of her frightening appearance and demeanor (especially her demeanor.)

“Oh…so many questions, Lucy,” I sighed. “I’ve…been pregnant for about four months now…”

“…Four months?! Heather, you look like you’re about to burst! Are you sure?” Lucia asked. “I’m still surprised your shirt’s buttoned up all the way…”

“Well, it should give out any day now; I’ve got two in here,” I looked down at my stomach. Lucia gasped.

“Twins?!” I nodded again. “Oh, Heather, I’m really happy for you! Is there anything I can get for you?”

“Well, I’m quite hungry; I haven’t eaten all day, as I’ve mentioned to you several times…”

"Evil can confuse you when you're staring at it straight in the face. You can hope the face of evil will change, but it won't unless you force it to change."

Chapter 3 - Lost

“I get to live here?!” she exclaimed. She jumped in the air, and I took a step back to prevent her from crashing into me.

“Well, you don’t have to, but everyone in our group currently does live here in this fortress,” Coronamon said. Then, in a more serious tone, he said, “Many of us, if not all, don’t have a home of our own anyway. We live here in this fortress. It’s a really big place, so with as many as we’ve got, it’s no problem at all.” Giselle smiled up at the large building, and then looked over at me.

“So, Matthew, what’s it like to be here?” she asked. “Do you, like, go on a bunch of adventures and stuff?”

“…It’s…okay…I guess…” I avoided direct eye contact with her. To be honest, her happiness was really quite infectious, but I still could not get over my fear, so I steadily looked down at the ground, and remained silent.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go on in! Introduce yourself to everyone!” Coronamon ran into the fortress, and was followed by Giselle, leaving me alone outside the fort.

…Why am I so afraid? I thought to myself as I slowly walked in. Every girl I’ve ever met scares me, except for my sister…and Heather, I guess…Why is that? My thoughts were interrupted by the loud clamor of many people talking all at once. Nervously, I walked faster until I reached the lounge of the fortress.

“Matthew! Matthew!” my twin sister, Eleanora, walked up to me with a big smile on her face. Following her was her own partner Digimon, Lunamon. She took my hand in hers and pulled me to the center of the room, where several others were crowded around Heather Reed, who sat on a couch. “Guess what?! Guess what?! Heather’s pregnant!!!”

“You didn’t really give him enough time to guess, you know,” Lunamon said.

“Oh, I know; I just couldn’t keep it in anymore!” Eleanora grabbed my wrist and pulled me over to Heather. “C’mon, Mattie; you’ve got to feel this! It’s so amazing!” Excitedly, Eleanora placed her hand on top of Heather’s round belly. “There’s life growing inside of here, Mattie! And she’s so warm…”

“I thought you were afraid of pretty girls,” Giselle whispered.

“Oh, he is. That’s his twin sis, Eleanora, so of course he isn’t afraid of her,” Coronamon said. “And Heather there is kinda like a mother to those two…” As everyone continued talking, Eleanora placed my hand on top of Heather’s belly. She was right; it was warm, and amazing…

“I love the way it feels to have life growing inside of me,” I heard Heather say to me. “And I also love it when people feel my stomach…So please; take all the time you want, Matthew…”

“…Where is everybody?” I asked after a few moments.

“Well, some people are still out on jobs,” Heather replied. She turned to look at Giselle. “Young lady, where you looking to join our group?”

“Oh, uh, yes,” Giselle said, startled. “I, like, just found Matthew and Coronamon today, and I was looking for this place when I got lost in the forest. My name is Giselle Alberona.”

“Eh, don’t feel too bad about getting lost out there,” Eleanora said. “Even our smartest get lost in that forest.”

“Well, anyway, we all welcome you here to Lachesis, Miss Giselle,” Heather said.

“Oh, thank you!” Giselle said happily.

“Oh, and right now, Lucia is talking with the boss about…about Lloyd’s current predicament,” Heather said, turning back to me.

“Current predicament? What do you mean?” I asked.

“Lloyd is missing.” As if on cue, the door to the boss’s room opened up, and out walked Lucia. Instinctively, Eleanora helped me stand up. My taller twin stood in front of me, carefully observing Lucia.

“…Missing?” I asked.

“Yes, missing!” Lucia barked. I jumped back in fear, but Eleanora kept a tight and comforting grip on my hand. “…According to Heather’s information, we believe he may be somewhere in the Trillium Mountain range to the northeast.”

“We went out there a few months ago on what we thought would be an easy job, but as it turns out…well…it wasn’t quite so easy,” Heather said. “We were supposed to come back together, but Lloyd stayed behind to make sure I came back because…well, you know.”

“Ulysses and I have decided that we need to send someone up to the Trillium Mountains to find and retrieve Lloyd,” Lucia continued. I swallowed nervously. Usually, Ulysses was a very easygoing and approachable man, but at times like these, he had a tendency to crack under pressure, and become a rather “clumsy” leader.

“I’ll go,” Eleanora said quietly. To my dismay, Lucia shook her head.

“No. We have already decided to send Matthew and Coronamon.” Several surprised gasps filled the air. Eleanora glanced over her shoulder at me.

“Okay…well, I’ll go with him, then!” Again, Lucia shook her head.

“It has been decided that Matthew and Coronamon will go to the Trillium Mountains alone.”

“Eleanora Kasuto, are you defying a direct order from Ulysses Melchett?!” Lucia screamed.

“N—no…”

“Good. Then be on your way, Matthew,” Lucia said.

“Right now?! He can’t even have lunch first?!” Eleanora yelled.

“Do you have a problem with this?!” Lucia asked. Frantically, Eleanora turned around to look at me. I had never seen her look so scared in her entire life. “Lloyd’s life could easily be in danger at this very moment. You don’t have any time to waste eating.”

“…I’ll be okay,” I whispered at a volume that only Eleanora could hear. “If I die…I won’t have to deal with Lucia, at least.” Eleanora teared up and hugged me tightly.

“How could you be so cold, Lucia?” I heard somebody ask.

“…You think I’m being mean?” Lucia asked. “Mean…would be forcing him to those mountains without Coronamon. If I wished him dead…that is what I would do. I want him to live…and to learn to take care of himself. A day in those mountains should do just that. And that way, Eleanora, you won’t have to worry about him as much anymore. Please…just let him go. It’s the only way he can grow and learn to protect himself…” Hesitantly, Eleanora let go of me. Looking steadily down, she walked away. I could hear her quietly sobbing.

“…What’s so bad about those mountains?” I heard Giselle ask.

“You see, the Trillium Mountains are almost as cold as Nymphaea Province,” Coronamon said. “There’s an air current that runs down from the Black Rose Mountains that keeps it icy cold and snowy. To make matters worse, the Digimon that live there are very territorial, and tend to attack intruders without warning. They’re very savage, but very powerful.”

“…Could I go with him?” Giselle looked up at Lucia. “I’m joining Lachesis today, ma’am, so if I, like, need some way to prove myself worthy of joining—”

“No. I welcome you to our group, Giselle, but I’m afraid you will need to stay behind,” Lucia said. “This is for Matthew and Coronamon only. Do I make myself clear, everyone?” By the looks on everyone’s faces, I could see many that clearly wanted to object, but out of fear of Lucia, they kept their lips sealed.

Chapter 4 - Divide and Conquer

Lucia DelbrayLachesis Fortress

Quietly, Matthew and Coronamon left the fortress lounge, heading for the outside. With them out of sight, I turned my attention to the remaining members of Lachesis I saw before me. “All right, everyone; we each have our own tasks to do today.” I looked through the job requests given to me by Ulysses, nearly all of which had something to do with bandits. “Okay…Bokomon; I want you to take this one.” I handed the Rookie a piece of paper.

“I didn’t say you’d be alone,” I interrupted. “Take Neemon and AeroVeedramon with you.” Nervously, Bokomon turned to glance behind. The rabbit-like Neemon, with a blank expression on his face, stood at his best friend Bokomon’s side. The large AeroVeedramon was curled up in a ball, sound asleep, as he had been ever since Heather had arrived home. Bokomon sighed wearily into the piece of paper I handed to him.

“I’d be better off going alone!”

“Oh, goody; are we going to the candy store?” Neemon asked happily.

“No, you nitwit!” Bokomon snapped the waistband of Neemon’s pants, an oft-seen habit of his. Bokomon then marched over to AeroVeedramon and pulled out a rather large book from his pink belt. “Hey, you giant oaf; wake up!” Bokomon slammed the book on top of AeroVeedramon’s head. The Ultimate level Digimon woke up slowly, and didn’t seem very fazed by Bokomon’s action. The Holy Dragon yawned in a way that showed each and every one of his sharp fangs.

“Bokomon…what do you want?” AeroVeedramon asked.

“WAKE UP! We have a job to do!” Bokomon yelled. AeroVeedramon sighed.

“Do it yourself…”

“Lucia told us to—” In the blink of an eye, the lazy dragon was on his feet, towering over everyone else in the room.

“Let’s go, little man,” AeroVeedramon said, walking out of the room with Neemon in tow.

“AAARRGGH! I’m surrounded by idiots!” Bokomon ran out of the room after the two Digimon.

“Okay then…Eleanora, you are with me,” I said. Eleanora’s eyes widened, but I heard no objections, so I continued through the papers Ulysses had handed me. “Just one bandit for this job…Hey, new girl!” I looked over at Giselle. “You need some experience, right? Go out and do this job, okay? And take someone with experience with you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Giselle said happily. I looked around the room, thinking of who to send with Giselle, until I saw someone in the corner, all alone and reading a book. “Isole! Hey, Isole!” With an annoyed look on her face, the young girl looked over at me. “Take the new girl out on a job, will you?” Isole rolled her eyes.

“Lucia…for the last time, I am not a fighter! I am a tactician!” Isole said. “We don’t fight! We plan! We strategize! We keep idiots like you from getting yourselves killed!”

“Good; then keep Giselle here from getting herself killed,” I said. Isole swore under her breath and slammed her book shut before walking over to me. “Couldn’t I get Eleanora instead? Why don’t you take the new girl out to show her how things are done?!”

“Because I’m not a teacher. That’s your job, tactician,” I said.

“Well, at least let me take Lilliana! She’s quiet! Plus, she needs to learn the way things are done, too! C’mon…”

“Nope. Take Giselle. And no more back talk, Isole, if you know what’s good for you.” Isole rolled her eyes one last time before uttering a “fine” under her breath. The violet-haired tactician took the job request from me in one hand and dragged Giselle along behind her in the other. “…Is Elizabeth back yet?” I asked, looking around the room. A young woman with long green hair stepped forward.

“…I’m right here...” As usual, Elizabeth had a somber and distant expression on her face. I caught myself looking into her eyes; one was green, matching her hair, but the other was a deep violet, like that of Isole’s hair. Behind Elizabeth was her partner Digimon, Quetzalmon.

“Good. I want you and Mia to take this job…” I handed Elizabeth the job request as a young blonde woman walked up to Elizabeth. “This one’s a bit more difficult than usual, but I know the two of you can handle it no problem.”

“Aw, thanks, Lucy,” Mia said.

“…Shall we depart?” Elizabeth asked.

“Sure! Whenever you’re ready!” Mia replied happily. The two women left the room, Mia with a youthful and energetic spring in her step, and Elizabeth with an empty one in hers. I watched silently until the two were out of sight, and then returned to the job requests I held.

“…Ah, this one should be just right. Alicia!”

“You called?” a tall, brunette woman raised her hand. Though she said only two words, I could hear the sultry seductiveness in her voice that sent a chill down my spine. “Well? I’m waiting for my hard, hard, job…”

“…Take Lilliana on this one. Make sure she learns.” I handed Alicia a job request paper.

“Oh, I’d be delighted to show her what I’m capable of,” Alicia said. Nearby, I could see tiny Lilliana with her long blue hair look up nervously at the tall and beautiful Alicia.

“…Are you sure that’s a good idea, Lucia?” Heather asked. “I don’t think Alicia’s exactly a good role model for Lilly…”

“Alicia isn’t going with her to be a role model. She’s going to make sure Lilliana doesn’t die.”

“It’s okay…I always cry…Just as Geitz said,” Katsumi said. Geitz said nothing as he picked up his twin lances and left the room, with Katsumi slowly following after him.

“Wait a minute; I didn’t get a job!” Heather exclaimed. I laughed a little.

“Heather, did you honestly think I would let you go on a job while pregnant?” I asked.

“…Not even if I be extra, extra careful?” Heather asked.

“Nope. Just stay here with the others, okay? I’m sure Matthew and Coronamon will be back soon with your husband, and he’ll be okay too…”

“…Fine…” I smiled at her.

“Are you ready to go?” I asked, looking up at Eleanora.
“Yes. Let’s…just get this job over with.” Eleanora left the room in a huff before me. I sighed, and followed after her.

Matthew KasutoTrillium Mountains30 Minutes

Coronamon and I stood still, looking into the entrance of the frigid, ice-covered Trillium Mountains. Even the ground beneath us was ice; I was amazed neither of us hadn’t slipped and fallen yet.

“You doing okay, Matt?” Coronamon asked. I didn’t answer, and continued looking up at the mountain range. There couldn’t have been any more than ten mountains; this range was definitely smaller than the Black Rose Mountains, which had over one-hundred mountains in its range.

Chapter 5 - Alone but Never Alone

Heather ReedLachesis Fortress - Lounge10 Minutes

I sat alone on the couch for what seemed to be weeks. Every once in a while, I would shift my weight around or fidget nervously while thinking about Lloyd. Lloyd…please…come back…I don’t want our babies to grow up without their father…I looked around the room. There was nobody else around. I sighed. Nobody else around to help take my mind off of Lloyd. I looked to the door of our boss’s room. Quite often, I would hear the gruff voice of Ulysses in conversation with Dominimon, another Digimon who lived here with us at Lachesis. I laid my head back and placed a hand over my round belly, wondering how long it had been since Lucia and the others left. My heart skipped a beat when I heard the sound of someone running quickly down the stairs.

“HEATHER! HEATHER! HEATHER! You’re back!!!” A young woman — rather, a young looking woman — ran into the room and threw her arms around me at once. I was so happy to see her, too; not only because I missed her, but because it was so lonely to sit around with nobody to talk to, especially Lloyd…

“Larraine…Oh, I’ve missed you too, sweetie…” I gently place my arms around her tiny body.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come down sooner,” Larraine said. She plopped down on the couch next to me, smiling wide. “I heard all of the commotion when you came back, but I…I was practicing one of my dances…You know; one of those special ones…” Looking ashamed with herself, she looked down and away from my gaze.

“Oh, sweetie, don’t look so sad; you have a special duty,” I said gently. Larraine was a dancer, and thus a non-combatant like Isole. She dressed in what some might think to be immodest clothing; however, as a dancer (particularly, Larraine fancied herself to be a belly dancer, and she was a very skilled and graceful one at that), they were actually quite appropriate for the task. In spite of her beautiful and shapely figure, her most striking features were actually above the shoulders (unless one counted the Mark on the back of her left thigh). Her eyes were a deep crimson red, like that of a Digimon’s. Her hair was a vast and shimmering blue; however, unlike Lilliana’s dark blue hair, Larraine’s was a purely unique blue that I had never seen before. Larraine’s hair was the exact same shade of blue as the sky. All in all, Larraine was an incredibly beautiful woman whom everyone in Lachesis loved dearly.

“Special duty? What could be more special than the creation of life itself?!” Larraine gasped, looking down at my stomach. Again, I smiled at her.

“Yes, I know, dear. But your dances do more than ease the weary hearts of those who see them, you know,” I said. “You dance specifically to give homage and blessings to Goddess Arcadia. Not many people can perform those sacred dances that you do, Larraine, so you should take pride in all of the hard work that you do, because I know Arcadia would.” Larraine smiled at me.

“Thank you, Heather.” After a moment, she turned her attention to my stomach. “I heard everyone talking down here; that is so amazing, Heather! And twins, too! You are so lucky!” I smiled back at her. “Is it okay…Could I feel your tummy, Heather? I’ve never felt a pregnant woman’s tummy before…”

“Oh, of course, sweetheart! I just love it when people feel my belly!” Excitedly, Larraine placed her hand on my stomach. We sat there, unmoving, for what felt like a long while. I could hear Larraine giggle when I felt one of the babies kick.

“Welcome back, Heather.” I looked back, and saw the door to the boss’s room open. The Digimon Dominimon walked out, and was followed by our boss, Ulysses. It was Dominimon who spoke. “We are glad to have you back with us unharmed,” he said.

“We’re sorry about what happened to Lloyd, but I have no doubt that he’ll be back with us soon,” Ulysses said.

“Sir, with all due respect, why would you send Matthew to a place as dangerous as those mountains?” I asked. “I want my husband to come back safely, but I don’t want anything to happen to Matthew or Coronamon up there! And don’t tell me it was Lucia’s decision!”

“…It was exactly as I heard Lucia yell,” Ulysses said. “I wanted Matthew to learn how to protect himself alongside Coronamon so he wouldn’t have to be so dependent on Eleanora all the time…”

“I know it’s important, but not at the cost of his life, Ulysses!” I exclaimed. “I would rather him be weak and inexperienced than dead, and I know Eleanora feels the same!” Ulysses sighed and shook his head.

“I…I don’t know what to say…Beyond that I would never intentionally put anyone in my family in danger,” Ulysses said sadly. “I’m sorry, Heather…but I think this is for the best.”

“…Fine.” Without another look at Ulysses, I began forcing myself to stand up.

“Oh, Heather, don’t try and stand up!” Dominimon said, placing his arms protectively around my shoulders. “Is there anything you need? I would be more than happy to go and get it for you.”
“Well…could you at least help me stand?” I asked. The kindly priest did so, but he kept his arms around me when the task was complete. “My sword was damaged while on the job, so I need to go see our blacksmith.” Dominimon promptly picked up my sheathed sword from the couch and graciously handed it to me. After a word of thanks, I slowly waddled out of the room.

Ulysses Melchett

Sadly, I watched at Heather left the room. I understood how she felt; truly, I did, and I did not want anything to happen to Matthew, Coronamon, or Lloyd any more than she did.

“Elizabeth…has been here for almost ten years now,” Dominimon continued. “And…she does not appear to have aged one bit since joining us.”

“So? Neither have I,” Larraine interrupted. “Katsumi, Matthew, and Eleanora look the same after all those years, too.”

“Yes, but that is because you carry the Mark,” I said. “However, I have the feeling that is not what Dominimon means…am I correct in saying this?” Dominimon looked at me and nodded.

“We Digimon are able to sense if a being is Human or Digimon,” Dominimon said. “In the case of the Marked, like you, Larraine, we sense a different presence altogether…”

“But in the case of Elizabeth…?” I began. Dominimon shook his head.

“She does not carry the Mark; I know that for certain.”

“Then what is the problem with her?” I asked.

“I…do not know,” Dominimon answered. “My Digimon instincts say she is Human, but…I don’t know. I trust her, and I like her, but…” Dominimon looked down. “There’s something…in the back of my mind saying that…that there’s something more to Elizabeth than we realize.”

“…Is that a bad thing?” I asked. “We all like her. She is trustworthy. Everyone here has secrets that we would rather not share,” I looked at Larraine, who almost too casually looked up and away to avoid my gaze. “I think you’re just worrying to much about nothing, Dominimon.”

“Perhaps you’re right…” Dominimon sighed and spread his wings out, not sounding entirely convinced. “Please…do not tell Elizabeth I said any of this. I do not wish to hurt her feelings…”
“I understand,” I nodded.

Heather Reed

It was not a very long walk to our blacksmith’s forge, to my relief; it was directly behind the fortress, and only a few minutes away. With the additional weight I carried from being pregnant, all of this walking wore me out more than it usually would have. As I entered the forge, the familiar scent of smoke and flames came to my attention.

I probably shouldn’t stay here too long; I don’t want any of this smoke to hurt the babies. After a few moments, I finally found the man I was looking for, kneeling on the floor and hammering away on something or other. “Hello, Wayland.” The hammering stopped.

“Heather.” Wayland was a man of few words. He was always direct in his words, and sometimes a little tactless, but he always did good work on fixing up weapons.

“I, uh…I kind of broke my sword again while on my last job…”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Yeah…hence the word ‘again,’” I laughed. Wayland did not.

“Give it here. I’ll get to it as soon as possible.” I handed the man my sheathed blade. “You should probably leave soon. Don’t want this smoke to hurt the little ones in you.”

“Oh…you know? But you haven’t turned around since I arrived…”

“I saw you on your way into the fort,” Wayland said. “Didn’t think you of all people would get fat, so I figured you were pregnant.”

“I see…and if I were just fat?” I asked. Wayland said nothing, and continued hammering away. “Well…I guess I’ll be going, as you said…”

“If you were fat, then there would just be more of you for Lloyd to love,” Wayland said suddenly. “And…all the rest of us.”

“…Thank you, Wayland.”

"Evil can confuse you when you're staring at it straight in the face. You can hope the face of evil will change, but it won't unless you force it to change."

Chapter 6 - Burst

Isole FrostCelosia Province

“Okay…we’re here,” I said. “Finally.”

“All right…so, what do we do first?” Giselle asked. I rolled my eyes. It was bad enough that I had to go with this loudmouthed idiot who relentlessly continued to attempt to be my friend, but that she didn’t even try to remember anything I had told her over and over again made it even worse. I sighed. Fortunately, the trip was not actually as long as it seemed.

“Giselle, for the last time, we are here to fightbandits. Understand?! Do you not see them up ahead?!” I asked.

“Oh, is that who those people are?” she asked. It took every ounce of self-control to keep myself from strangling Giselle.

“Giselle, they are a group of ugly, shirtless men carrying axes, and they are with a bunch of offense-oriented Digimon. What do you think?!” I asked.

“Well? Go deal with them!” I said. “I’m the tactician! You go fight them! If you can, that is...”

“Oh, no, I, like, don’t fight,” Giselle said. As I was about to yell at her, she pulled a Digivice from her skirt pocket. “I don’t, but she does.”

“That’s…a Data Link Digivice,” I said. Giselle nodded happily, and held it out in front of her.

“Rosemon, realize!” Immediately, the form of the Mega level Digimon Rosemon began to materialize in front of Giselle.

“Who is it that I will be fighting?” Rosemon asked. Giselle pointed.

“Those bandits up ahead of us!” Giselle exclaimed. Rosemon nodded.

“Rose Spear!” Rosemon swung her whip through the air and struck one of the Human bandits, no more than ten feet away from us, directly in the chest, killing him. This caught the attention of the other bandits, and they immediately came running towards Rosemon. Again, Rosemon swung her whip and lopped off the heads of all the remaining Human bandits. The Digimon, all of them Gazimon, stood their ground.

“They look like they’re about to Digivolve,” I said. “Can you handle this, Rosemon?”

“Of course we can!” Giselle exclaimed excitedly. The Gazimon all held hands and began to glow with the light of Digivolution. Where they once stood was a massive Digimon called Raremon. I had heard of him before, but the stench I read about was completely unbearable. “Are you ready, Rosemon?” Again, Rosemon nodded. Giselle held out her Digivice once again, and she place her hand over it. “Charge! D.N.A. …Burst Mode!” I looked on in amazement as Rosemon was enveloped in a beautiful light.

Giselle…you are capable of something like this?! Rosemon had reached the Burst Mode. Her red clothes had become white. Otherwise, she looked the same. In spite of my deep loathing of Giselle, I was completely motionless from what I had just seen. Never in my life, did I ever think I would see anyone capable of Burst Digivolution.

“Repent, unclean soul of darkness,” Rosemon said gently. Her cape began to grow larger; she spun around, and covered up Raremon completely. “Charité!” Rosemon’s cape emitted a bright, magenta light that disappeared as soon as it shone. Raremon was nowhere to be seen.

“Well? What do you think?” Giselle asked. “Am I amazing or what?” I looked at the younger girl.

“…You didn’t do anything. It was Rosemon who did all of the work,” I replied. Does she seriously not realize how much I hate her?! “Well…anyway…our work here is done. Let’s go back home.”
“Okay!” Giselle returned Rosemon to her Digivice, and then merrily skipped her way home. Once more, I rolled my eyes at her as I followed along.

Bokomon

“Are you serious, AeroVeedramon?!” I yelled at the dragon. “You aren’t even going to bother fighting these bandits?!”

“Nope,” the Ultimate yawned.

“Oh, goody, goody; more fun for us!” Neemon yelled before a bandit hit him on the head with a thick club, knocking him unconscious. A splitting headache developed.
“…I have to do everything!” I spat. I pulled a book from my pink belt and began flipping through the pages. None of the bandits had been killed yet, thanks to AeroVeedramon, and with Neemon unconscious, I was once again forced to do everything. “All right…here it is…” I began mumbling in an ancient language. All thirty bandits began to charge at me. A bright light enveloped us, and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, all thirty lay dead on the ground. “Well…that takes care of that job. Time to take all the credit…again. Ah…spells are so much fun to cast; I’m so glad Katsumi gave me this book and taught me how! I just wish there was something I could do for her to help her stop crying in return for her kindness, poor dear…”

Eleanora Kasuto

Lucia rode her Digimon partner, Mihiramon, into battle, lopping off the heads of many bandits all at once with her special axe. At first glance, one wouldn’t think her to be so utterly frightening; she wore a simple white blouse and a black skirt. If it weren’t for the scar on her left cheek and the eye patch covering her right eye, she would have looked like a sweet, harmless secretary. But those who knew her know just how scary she is on and off the battlefield. I stood motionless as she and Mihiramon continued riding around, slaying bandits.

“Samurai Tiger Tail!” Mihiramon struck a bandit who was attempting to sneak up on Lucia from behind, instantly killing the brigand.

“And that’s all of them,” Lucia said. She slid off Mihiramon’s back and walked up to me. “I noticed you and Lunamon didn’t fight at all.” I looked down at the sword in my hand. I knew very well how to use it; from what I was told, it had once belonged to an ancestor of mine, and I wished to honor him, whoever he was, by learning to use it to protect Matthew.

“I…was planning on fighting,” I said nervously. “But…it’s hard to watch somebody’s back when they’re riding a tiger who can kill people with its tail…”

“Heh. I see your point. Mihiramon and I do make a pretty good team,” Lucia began scratching the Ultimate behind his pointy ears. “…You must think I’m a monster…”

“A…monster? Of course I do!” I yelled without thinking. “What kind of monster would force my baby brother up to those harsh mountains all alone?!”

“…You…must know…I objected myself,” Lucia said. “It…was Ulysses’ idea. I objected, but he made up his mind…” Lucia turned to face me. “But you’re wrong about one thing, Ellie; your twin brother is not alone. Coronamon is with him. That…was my idea.”

“…Yours?” Lucia nodded.

“Ulysses intended for Matthew to go completely alone to the Trillium Mountains. I had to beg Ulysses to let Coronamon go with Matthew…”

“…Thank you…Lucia…” I felt a tear run down my cheek.
“Poor dear; you must’ve been worried sick this entire time,” Lucia said softly. “Here; why don’t you and Lunamon take my spot on Mihiramon on our way back home? You must be more exhausted than I…”

Matthew KasutoTrillium Mountains

“How long have we been walking?” I asked.

“It’s been about thirty minutes since we’ve arrived here,” Coronamon responded. I looked around; the scenery was exactly the same as when we started. Pure white was the only thing I could see; snow, ice, you name it. Thanks to Coronamon’s flame, it wasn’t nearly as cold as it looked. I looked down at the little Rookie just as he stopped walking. He held out an arm to stop me.

“What’s wrong, Coronamon?” I asked.

“…We aren’t alone,” he responded. At that moment, piles of snow flew through the air as enormous Digimon leaped out of the ground. “Damn it; IceGolemon!” A pack of five of the Digimon began walking towards us.

“IceGolemon? I’ve never heard of them,” I said.

“They’re Ultimate level Digimon, evolved from the Golemon Digimon,” Coronamon said. “This isn’t good; we can’t fight them as we are now!”

“Then why don’t we change?” I asked, pulling out my Digivice. Coronamon smiled, and both he and the Digivice began emitting a bright light.

“Coronamon Digivolve to, Firamon!” Coronamon changed from a small Digimon barely up to my knee to a huge, winged lion, taller than most I’ve seen at Lachesis. “Better hop on, Matthew; this could get messy!” I did as my Digimon told when an IceGolemon ran up to us. “Fira Claw!” Firamon tore through the Digimon and killed it instantly, in spite of being only a Champion.

“The others look mad,” I said.

“Not for long; Fira Bomb!” Firamon unleashed several flaming spheres at the remaining IceGolemon, killing them all. At that moment, more and more IceGolemon began to dig themselves out of the snowy ground. “Crap; more are coming!”

“What should we do, Firamon?” I asked. The Beast Digimon looked around.

“…If they’re just going to keep coming…we’ll have to bury them,” Firamon said. “Take one of your arrows and light it with some of my flames. Fire it at that ledge over there.”

“…Are you sure about this?” I asked.

“Of course not. But I don’t think we have any other choice.” I nodded, and pulled out an arrow, setting it ablaze with Firamon’s tail flame.

“Ready…aim…fire!” I let go of my arrow, and it soared over the heads of the advancing IceGolemon until it lodged itself into a tall ledge. The ice melted instantly, sending piles and piles of snow down, crushing the IceGolemon.

“It’s coming down faster than I thought! All right, let’s get out of—” Firamon was interrupted as the two of us were buried in the snow. I was knocked out instantly.

"Evil can confuse you when you're staring at it straight in the face. You can hope the face of evil will change, but it won't unless you force it to change."

Chapter 7 - Distant Memories

Matthew Kasuto

~~~

I was back home. Not at Lachesis, but to my own home, with my family. My mother and father, and Eleanora. It has been a very long time since I’ve seen either of my parents; I can’t even remember their faces. But there I was, sitting at a table, eating dinner with Eleanora and my parents. At least, that’s who I thought they were. Their faces were obscured, as if I couldn’t remember what they looked like. Two faceless strangers…I don’t even know how old I was in this memory, this dream, but it was the last memory of my parents that I have, because on that day, they were murdered. Killed by bandits. If it weren’t for Eleanora, I’d have been killed, too. They set our home on fire. Our parents were trapped; there wasn’t anything we could have done for them, or they us. Eleanora took my tiny hand in hers, and began running. The two of us kept on running, and running, and running, until we just couldn’t keep going. She had always been the braver one of us; she spoke to others more, she fought more, she smiled more…Maybe it was because I blamed myself for our parents’ death that she was the way she was? Always smiling, always trying to make me happy…I knew that, logically, I had done nothing; I didn’t start the fire, I didn’t trap them. But, they did try to keep me safe…If they hadn’t, they wouldn’t have gotten trapped the way they did in that fire, and left to die while Ellie and I fled for our lives. In that time, my twin sister grew to be a protective older sister, and after that, she became something of an overprotective mother figure to me…Maybe that was why I was so weak, and timid; because I had Ellie to fight all my battles for me, and to take care of me, I never learned how to fight by myself. I remember her adamant opposition to me learning archery like it was yesterday. At the end of our argument, she broke down in tears; you’d think I was abandoning her forever! Because we’ve been together for so very long, she is the only beautiful woman whom I do not fear in the slightest. I love Eleanora like she were my mother, and I know she sees me as her son. It’s quite unusual; we’re twins. The same age. Why must we continue acting like there’s an age difference between us? Or, maybe did other twins behave this way? I wasn’t certain. All I know is that when I see Eleanora, I see a mother. And when I try to recall my actual mother, nothing…

“…Sparrow?” I was looking up into the eyes of my closest friend at Lachesis; Sparrow Lea. At 23 years old, Sparrow was many decades younger than I; however, he looked older, he acted older…usually. He was an older brother to me, in spite of our age difference.

“Glad you’re okay, bud,” Sparrow said. Above us flew Sparrow’s Digimon partner, Hawkmon. “Hawkmon and I saw that avalanche, so we went to go see what was going on just in time to pull you and Firamon outta there.”

“What were you two doing up there?” Firamon asked. It was on his back where Sparrow and I sat.

“We were…just…looking for something. No big deal,” Sparrow said.

“What were you doing?” Hawkmon asked.

“Lucia sent the two of us out on a job. Lloyd’s gone missing, so she sent us to find him,” Firamon said. Just hearing her name sent a chill down my spine.

“We know, but we find it hard to keep track with all of your results,” Firamon said smugly. “Seeing as how you hit on every girl you see…”

“Right…Well…Let’s just keep on going home, then,” Sparrow said nervously. “I’ll see if I can take the blame for what happened today…”

“…You’d do that for me?” I asked.

“Sure! Anything for my bro!”
“…Thank you, Sparrow…” I laid my head back down, and closed my eyes. My entire body ached, so I wanted to rest up before Lucia reprimanded me.

ElizabethCelosia Province

“Welp, that should be the last of ‘em!” Mia said cheerfully. I retrieved one of my knives from a brigand’s throat.

“…Yes…”

“Hey…are you okay, Lizzy?” Mia asked.

“I am fine…I am always like this, aren’t I?” I asked.

“Hmm…Now that you mention it, I guess you are,” Mia said. “Why is that?”

“Well, do you remember the day we met?” I asked. “It was about ten years ago…I was in a complete daze, as if I had just woken up for the first time. I couldn’t see clearly, and I stumbled when I walked. That was when I came across that fortress…Lachesis…Even though it wasn’t my intention to join when I first stepped foot in the fortress, I was welcomed instantly by all. I’m glad I did end up joining, though. I have so many good friends, especially you, Mia…”

“Lizzy…”

“Of course, when I first walked in, I never thought you’d be a mercenary group!” I smiled.

“So…why do you always seem sad?” Mia asked. “You remind me of Katsumi in that regard…Is it because of your amnesia?”

“…Yes. I…can’t remember anything before joining Lachesis eight years ago. I don’t even know how old I am,” I admitted. “But Lachesis gave me the opportunity to go out and make memories of my own.” I turned to look at my best friend. “And now…thanks to everyone…but you especially, Mia, I know who I am. I enjoy the simple pleasures of life. I love laughing with my friends. And I love…having friends…to share all of these experiences with. I still don’t have any memories…but I’m okay…without them. Although, sometimes…I guess I get a little sad, thinking about who I was before I lost them…”

“…It’s okay, Lizzy,” Mia placed her arm around my shoulders. “We’ll figure out some way for you to recover your memories together.” I smiled at her.

“Yes. Yes, we will,” I replied, trying to sound optimistic. We began to walk home, and we did so in silence for a few minutes until we came saw a young girl, no more than six or seven years old, staring up at a tree. The girl noticed us, and came running over to us.

“Um…can you help me?” she asked. “My Nyaromon is stuck in a tree; can you get her down?”

“Mia,” I interrupted. “Bandits.” Mia turned around, and saw a small group of bandits running in our direction. Mia’s usually smiling face turned serious.

“I’ve got this,” she said. “You get the Nyaromon. And keep the girl safe, too.”

“Understood.” I effortlessly picked up the girl and jumped up into the tree to join the girl’s Nyaromon. I saw Mia reach into her purse and retrieve a small stone, which she held high up above her head.

“Come forth…MegaKabuterimon!” A giant red beetle appeared before Mia, startling all of the brigands. “MegaKabuterimon, darling, you know what to do.”

“Always, Mia,” MegaKabuterimon said.

“W—what just happened?” the young girl asked.

“It’s okay, sweetie; my friend down there is what they call a Digimon Summoner,” I said. “She’s able to call forth Digimon to fight alongside her.” The little girl’s eyes were glued on Mia and her Digimon Spirit.

“Horn Buster!” The summoned Digimon fired a powerful blast from his horn. Though they were all Human, not a trace of them remained when MegaKabuterimon’s attack finished.

“Always a pleasure to be of service, my lady,” MegaKabuterimon said before vanishing. Smiling, I picked up the trembling Nyaromon and jumped down out of the tree. I handed the girl her Nyaromon, whom she promptly hugged tightly.

“Oh, Nyaromon, don’t scare me like that again!” she said.

“We’re glad you’re both all right,” Mia said. Her charming smile was once again on her lovely face.

“T—thank you for your help,” the girl said. “Um…My name is Cynthia…”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Cynthia. My name is Mia, and this is my best friend, Elizabeth.”

“You two work there?!” she gasped. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to join La…La…”

“Lachesis,” Mia finished.

“Yeah! Me and my friend have always wanted to join, but my mommy told us we’re not old enough,” Cynthia pouted.

“Oh, don’t worry about that; I’m sure you’ll be old enough in no time,” I said. The young girl’s face lit up again.

“Oh, I can’t wait!” Cynthia exclaimed.

“Why don’t the two of us walk you home, dear?” Mia asked. “We wouldn’t want something to happen to you and Nyaromon.”
“Yay! Oh, I can’t wait to tell Miya that I got to meet two heroes from La…Lachesis!” Cynthia said.

Lilliana MeadowsCelosia Province

“Okay…it looks like we’re here,” Alicia said.

“…Will I…have to hurt anybody?” I asked nervously.

“Oh, no; absolutely not, love,” Alicia said. “Unless you want to, you will never be forced to harm another living being in your life at Lachesis.”

“Now, do you see those bandits up ahead of us?” she asked, pointing one of her arrowguns forward.

“Yes…?” When I saw them, I began to feel more and more nervous.

“Okay; there are only three of them, so we shouldn’t be here too long,” Alicia continued. “I’ll take one of them out, but only to get their attention. When they come this way, you and Kamemon will take care of them. Clear?”

“Y—yes,” I said.

“Don’t worry, Lilliana; I won’t let them hurt you,” Kamemon said. I looked down at my Digimon partner, and smiled. Alicia pointed an arrowgun directly at one of the bandits. I adjusted my glasses, and tightly held on to my Digivice. It was a D-Power, one that I could use specially made cards to make Kamemon fight better. At the moment, I had only one card, but it was the only one I needed.

“Three…two…one…Now!” An arrow flew through the air and struck one of the bandits in the center of the forehead. He fell dead instantly. The other two bandits saw us, and began to charge. “That’s your cue, Lilly!”

“Okay…Digi-Modify! Digivolution activate!” I slid the card through my Digivice, and Kamemon began to glow with the light of Digivolution.

“Kamemon Digivolve to, Gwappamon!” Kamemon now stood a good deal taller than he had been. “Gawappa Punch!” Gwappamon extended both of his arms and punched both of the bandits in the face, knocking them to the ground. “DJ Shooter!” Gwappamon shot off the discs on his heads into the throats of the bandits. Blood came spurting out, up into the air and leaking onto the ground. They were both killed instantly.

“All right! Good reflexes, both of you!” Alicia clapped, smiling happily. Gwappamon glowed again and turned back into Kamemon. “Very good job, Lilly! How do you feel?” My eyes were glued to the two bandit corpses that lay on the ground. Blood was still slowly welling from their necks, staining their bodies and the ground around them. Slowly, I looked up at Alicia. “…This was your first time seeing someone die, wasn’t it?” I nodded slowly. “I’m sorry…I should have asked you first…How are you feeling, dear?” I looked down.

“…My tummy hurts…Feels icky…” I felt dizzy from looking at that blood. I almost fell over when Alicia gently grabbed my arm.

“Oh, sweetie…” Alicia picked me up, and began walking, with Kamemon following, carrying Alicia’s arrowguns. “Let’s get you home; we’ll put you to bed, and Larraine can rub all of that ickyness out of your tummy, okay?” I nodded slowly, and curled up in Alicia’s arms.…I was always so afraid of her…I thought she would be mean…I never knew Alicia could be so nice like this…

Katsumi Rosalina

“…There…all done,” I said, killing the final bandit with a magic spell. He fell dead without feeling any pain. But still, I felt guilty; guilty for bringing yet another’s life to an end…

Chapter 8 - Bolero del Vientre de la Diosa

Sparrow LeaLachesis Fortress – Lounge2 Hours

Firamon and I successfully brought Matthew home to Lachesis, by which time it was night — Matthew had fallen asleep once again on our way back. I lay him down on a couch, with his head resting in Eleanora’s lap. Every now and then, she would gently brush his hair out of his face. If it weren’t for Lucia standing over him and glaring down at him, it would’ve been a rather sweet moment.

“Has everyone returned?” I heard Mihiramon ask from on the floor at Lucia’s feet.

“…Tactimon and Sieglinde haven’t come back yet,” Lucia looked around the room. “Edmund still hasn’t come back from wherever it is Ulysses sent him, and Lloyd is still missing.”

“What about Katsumi?” I asked. Haven’t seen that pretty lady in a while…

“Geitz made her cry, so she’s up in her room,” Lucia said. “Mia and Elizabeth are with her.” Lucia turned her attention back to Matthew. She cleared her throat, and Matthew’s eyes opened up. He sat up slowly and yawned, looking around.

“Oh…did I fall asleep again?” he asked. Eleanora tapped his shoulder and pointed at Lucia. Matthew’s face went completely pale.

“…You caused an avalanche?” Lucia asked. “Without even thinking of the consequences…you…”

“I told you, that was my fault!” Coronamon said. “It was my idea…”

“Silence!” Lucia screamed. “Not only could you have gotten yourselves killed, but you could have also killed Lloyd! What the hell where you thinking?! Matthew, you idiot! How could you let something like this happen?!”

Jeez, I haven’t heard Lucia yell like this in…hours…

“…I...uh...”

“Shut up! No excuses!”

“Lucia, don’t yell at him! He’s just a little baby!” Eleanora protested, pulling Matthew’s head up against her body into a hug, resting it on her soft and ample bust.

Lucky man, I thought.

“...Eleanora, it is only because you insist on treating him as such that he remains that way!” Lucia barked. “Tomorrow morning, I fully expect you to go back to those mountains; do not come back until after you’ve found Lloyd Reed. Understand?!” After a moment of glaring down at Matthew, Lucia stormed away with Mihiramon, uttering something under her breath. When she was gone, Matthew began to tear up.

“Oh, don’t worry, Mattie; she’s gone now,” Eleanora said gently.

“Yeah, don’t listen to her,” I said, sitting down on the couch next to him. “Listen; tomorrow, I’m goin’ with you up to those mountains, okay?” Matthew looked up at me.

“But…what if Lucia says—”

“Ah, to the Dark Area with Lucia! I’ll just tell her I didn’t find what I was looking for, and I’ll need to go back!” I said.

I stared down the final bandit. He was the last of the ones foolish enough to remain behind, and as he realized this, he was beginning to look nervous. It was now dark out, but as a Digimon, I could see him easily. The man raised his knife, but he was too late. I swung my sheathed blade, and killed him instantly.

“Nice. Not bad at all, Tactimon,” Sieglinde said. I turned around to look at her; the lovely woman sat atop Lupinemon’s back in a similar manner to Lucia sitting on Mihiramon’s.

“I’m surprised you could see that; you’re only a Human, and not a Digimon,” I replied.

“No, but I used to be.” I turned my helmeted head to look at her. “Don’t act like you don’t know,” she giggled. “You remember me, don’t you?”

“Sieglinde, what are you talking about?” Lupinemon asked.

“Well, about five-hundred years ago, me and Tacty over there used to fight against Lachesis,” Sieglinde said.

“Please…don’t remind me of that time,” I said. “SkullCaliphmon is not…what I would call a Digimon worth dying for…” I looked down at my fight forearm. At the Mark. Even after being reborn, the Mark remained.

“From what I heard, you didn’t really die for him,” Sieglinde said. “You refused to fight against those three…and you were killed by SkullCaliphmon because of it.” After a moment, I nodded. “I was the same…I completely turned traitor against their group, and DeathPhantomon killed me.”

“But…you’re Human,” I said. “How…Just what are you, Sieglinde?”

“Oh, it really isn’t too complicated once you understand it,” Sieglinde shrugged. “Well, as you know, about five-hundred years ago, my body hosted the soul of a young girl named Linoan. I don’t know how that happened, but whatever. So anyway, when I was killed by DeathPhantomon, both me and Linoan were killed. After that, I guess since I performed a noble deed, we were both reborn not too long ago. However, for some reason, I’m the one who remembers this, not Lupinemon. I don’t know what happened up there that switched our consciousnesses and memories around, but whatever. We’re both pretty happy to be working at Lachesis, right, Lupinemon?”

“Always, Sieglinde,” Lupinemon said happily.

“Wait, if you were Linoan, why do you call yourself Sieglinde now? Aren’t you still Linoan?” I asked.

“Meh. I guess I am. But I was reborn, so I figured I should go by a different name, and Sieglinde sounded kinda pretty, so I just went with it,” Sieglinde replied. “Just think of me as Linoan with the old Lupinemon’s brain. It’s not so confusing that way.”

“I…see…”

“Well, what about you, Tacty?” Sieglinde asked. “Do you remember anything from the past?”

“I remember…everything,” I replied. “I remember SkullCaliphmon…and being murdered by him. I remember those three…Thomas…Statuedramon…and Zelda…” I sighed. “Really…it is because of Zelda that I am with Lachesis…”

“…Where are they now?” she asked. I shook my head.
“Well…I can surmise that Thomas has died long ago. He did not carry the Mark, after all. Zelda and Statuedramon…I don’t know their locations,” I admitted. “But…I do know this…they are…alive.”

LarraineLachesis Fortress10 Minutes

“…And they all lived happily ever after. The end…” I closed the book and looked over at Lilliana and Alicia. Lilliana lay in her bed, fast asleep. Her glasses lay on a nightstand next to her, where a lamp illuminated her room. Kamemon sat on her bed close to her head, looking down at her with a concerned look on his face.

“She fell asleep a few pages ago,” Alicia whispered.

“I know. I just couldn’t help continuing on,” I smiled, looking at the cover of The Little Mermaimon. “I can see why this is Lilly’s favorite fairy tale…”

“…I shouldn’t have made her see all of that up close,” Alicia said. “If I had known…If I had known she’d have gotten sick at the sight of blood, I would’ve just taken those bandits out from afar…”

“Well, it was sweet of you to stay with her, Alicia,” I said.

“You’re the one who read her her favorite story,” she replied. I smiled.

“I’m just glad I was able to help make her feel better…” I looked down at Lilliana, and brushed a strand of her deep blue hair out of her face. “Well…it’s almost time for my dance. Do you want to come and watch?” Alicia shook her head.

“I’ll stay here with Lilliana…You go on ahead, Rainy.” I smiled at Alicia, and left the room quietly, not wanting to wake up Lilliana. As I gently closed the door to her room, I found Katsumi sitting in the hallway. Mia and Elizabeth sat on either side of her.

“…What’s going on?” I whispered. “Are you okay, Kitty?” Katsumi shook her head. She sat up against a wall with her legs drawn in, and her face buried in her arms. My heart sank; even though seeing Katsumi crying was a common sight, it still made me feel sad to see her like this.

“Geitz yelled at her,” Mia said. “…Again.”

“He insulted her…because she has the Mark,” Elizabeth said.

“…I didn’t know he hated us,” I said. He’s never said anything to me, before…

“Lucia is chewing him out for it, though,” Mia said. “Says we need to treat everyone here equally.” Elizabeth shook her head.

“I don’t understand…why that man is still here,” she said. “Why is someone like him…allowed to stay in our group?”

“…I don’t know,” I admitted. “It’s not like he’s the boss’s kid or anything…Well, let’s not worry about Geitz right now. I heard Lucia yell at Matthew a few minutes ago.”

“She was pretty loud,” Mia added. “She didn’t have to be so hard on him, the poor thing…”

“What were you doing in Lilliana’s room?” Elizabeth asked.

“Well, as it turns out, she gets sick at the sight of blood,” I said. “She and Alicia went out on a job today, where Lilly apparently saw blood for the first time. It made her tummy hurt, and she almost passed out, so Alicia carried her home, and I read Lilly her favorite story until she fell asleep…”

“Rainy…you’re like everybody’s mother here,” Mia laughed.

“Yes, I suppose I am, aren’t I?” I giggled. “I even rubbed Lilly’s tummy for her while I read to her until she fell asleep…At the very least, I am old enough to be the mother of everybody here…”

“How old are you again?” Elizabeth asked.
“I dunno…a little over five hundred years, I think,” I answered. “Well, anyway, it’s almost time for me to dance. Would you like to watch, Kitty?” Katsumi slowly lifted her head. Her gorgeous face was wet with tears; her lovely, golden eyes reddened from crying. But, with a little effort, I saw her nod. I smiled, and helped her stand up. I even saw a tiny smile begin to form when I mentioned my dance. “Please feel better soon, Kitty…You, and Mattie, and Lilly…”

10 Minutes

I stood on a stage specially constructed for me to perform my dances in the lounge room of the fortress. Most of my friends faced me, all with looks of eager anticipation on their faces. There were only a few people missing. Alicia and Lilliana were still upstairs. Wayland was apparently still in his forge. I didn’t see Geitz or Ulysses anywhere, and I figured Sieglinde and Tactimon were still out on their job. AeroVeedramon slept in a far corner, as usual, and Neemon slept standing up, also as usual. Every few seconds, I would see Bokomon snap the waist of his pants to wake him up.

Ooh, I can’t wait to show everyone my newest dance! My heart beat rapidly in my chest, and it was as if happiness itself was coursing through my veins. The anticipation made me dizzy, but in a good way, and I could see that it was this way with all of my friends in the audience. The lights in the room dimmed. A single light shone down on me. All eyes were on me. It was time. I breathed in, and out, and closed my eyes. With a wide smile on my face, I began. My entire body acted as though it were a liquid during the dance. I spun around, and gracefully raised my arms up into the air. Time had no meaning to me in but the few minutes I danced, as it always did for me during these times. I brought my left leg forward, balancing on my bare foot momentarily as I spun once more. I undulated my stomach muscles and “rolled” my belly — a particular favorite of the crowd’s — and shimmied my hips. Though my eyes were closed the entire time, I could easily sense the awe and, in some cases, desire, from the crowd. The blanket-like cloth that I usually wore wrapped around my body was in my hands, and swayed majestically in the air as I turned, and spun. The dance concluded with a final twist of the hips that bounced my chest; I placed my left leg forward, placing my weight on my right leg. The cloth I held spun around my body when I gracefully but firmly stretched out my arms, returning to its original position around my shoulder, leaving my belly, for the most part, exposed, just the way I loved it. When I opened my eyes, everyone in my audience was on their feet. Their applause, cheering, and whistling were deafening, which was the greatest encouragement a performer could ever receive. As usual, I felt blessed to have friends as wonderful as everyone at Lachesis.

"Evil can confuse you when you're staring at it straight in the face. You can hope the face of evil will change, but it won't unless you force it to change."

Chapter 9 - In the Depths of the Pit

Matthew KasutoLachesis Fortress15 Hours

Sparrow and I stood side by side at the entrance of the fortress. It was early in the morning, and the sky was completely clear. Coronamon and Hawkmon stood at our sides, ready to fight alongside us. Eleanora stood close by, tightening the string of my bow after cramming as many arrows as possible into my quiver. Sparrow rested his poleaxe on his shoulder. He seemed enviously relaxed about our mission today.

“Be careful up there, okay?” she asked over and over.

“He’ll be fine, gorgeous,” Sparrow said. “Nobody better than me to look after Matthew, after all!” Eleanora smiled, and turned to me.

“I’ve got your lucky rock right here, Mattie,” she said. At the center of her dainty hand was a green stone. I reached out to pick it up. The surface was smooth and cool, while the underside was warmed from Eleanora’s touch. This stone was the only keepsake I had of our parents; from what Eleanora told me, it was given to me by our mother. But that had been very long ago. I didn’t remember her face, and I never bothered to ask Eleanora about it.

“…You hold onto it while I’m gone,” I said. “I don’t want to lose it…” I handed her back the stone, and she gripped it tightly and smiled at me. The echoing of footsteps coming from the stone floor of the fortress’s hallway caught my attention.

“Now, remember, you two,” Lucia suddenly said from behind us. I jumped at the sound of her voice, and hid myself behind Sparrow. “The orders from Ulysses are for you to not return until you find Lloyd. Understand?”

“And what are your orders, Miss Lucia?” Sparrow asked, sounding almost as if he were mocking Lucia.

“And make sure Lloyd makes it back in one piece, too,” Lucia added. “I don’t want to tell Heather that something’s happened to her husband.”

“None of us do,” Sparrow agreed. “Which is why we’re both going to make sure he comes back with us.” Lucia nodded.

“Be careful,” Eleanora repeated one last time.

“Better get going, then.” Sparrow and I looked at each other, and nodded. We both pulled out our Digivices, and aimed their lights at our Digimon. I glanced at Sparrow’s Digivice, a red D-3, as both of our Digimon began to evolve.

“Coronamon Digivolve to, Firamon!”

“Digi-Armor Energize!” Sparrow yelled.

“Hawkmon Armor Digivolve to, Moosemon, the Prongs of Hope!” Both of our Digimon stood tall in their new forms, ready for us to climb on and ride to the Trillium Mountains.

“Be careful,” I heard Lucia whisper as we both took off. I waited a few minutes to make sure we were out of Lucia’s range of hearing.

“Sparrow…how come you’re so brave around girls?” I asked. “Why is it so easy for you to flirt with them?”

“Huh? Oh…I don’t know,” he replied. “It just…sorta comes naturally to me, I suppose. Our group’s full of beautiful ladies, I just can’t control myself when I’m around them, you know? Isn’t that why you’re afraid of them?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s normal,” Sparrow said. “Although…in your case, I suppose it does seem a bit more phobia-like…Why are you asking me this now, after all the years we’ve known each other? You got an eye on a certain lady in our group?”

“What?! No, I…well…maybe…”

“Well? Who’s the lucky lady?” Sparrow asked. I remained silent, keeping my eyes on Firamon’s mane. “Well, it’s all right if you don’t want to tell me who…Just thought I’d keep myself from flirtin’ with whoever it is you like…Unless it’s Lucia. You can keep her.” I cracked a smile.

“…I thought maybe if I asked you how you’re so brave around all of those pretty girls, then I’d learn to get over my phobia,” I admitted. “And I…wanted to get over it…before I told her…”

“Well, you’re not afraid of Eleanora, right? Because she’s your twin sister? Just…try imagining you’re talking to Ellie when talkin’ to the girl…without it being ‘weird!’” Sparrow added quickly. “Although, Rainy once told me that it was that fear of yours that made you so charming. So, if you’re hot for Rainy — which, if I may add, I totally cannot blame you for — then you’re in luck, pal.”

“Are you two through, yet?” Moosemon interrupted.

“Huh? Why?” Sparrow asked.
“We’ve…reached the foot of the mountains,” Firamon said, sounding out of breath. I looked up, and was surprised by what I saw. Due to my conversation with Sparrow, I hadn’t realized that both of our Digimon had run the entire way.

Lucia Delbray

I spent the last five minutes or so inside the fortress, leaning against a wall in the lounge and thinking. Many of the members of Lachesis regularly admitted to being afraid of me — in fact, Larraine, Heather, Isole, and Mihiramon were the only ones who didn’t seem to fear me in the slightest. Even Ulysses acted as though he feared me.

And yet, it’s not him who gets the blame for sending Matthew to the Trillium Mountains. It’s me. I looked down, and readjusted my eye patch. Ulysses is the one who wanted to send Matthew all alone; I do everything I can to get Coronamon and Sparrow to go with him, and yet I’m still treated as the villain…I can understand why most of the others are afraid of me, though. I suppose I do have a rather commanding presence. I laughed quietly to myself. “Oh, well. Ulysses might not seem like he’s doing a good job at being the leader, but I do trust his judgment and reasoning. His heart is always in the right place…I just wish he’d change his planning just a little bit…”

“Lucy! Hey, Lucy!” I lifted my head, and saw Larraine coming my way. As usual, she had a big smile on her face. “Lucy, everyone’s done with their morning training!” Her smile and infectious high spirits were more than enough to take my mind off Matthew. “Since they’re all done, they all went out to do some jobs!”

“Very good. Did everybody show up?” I asked.

“Well, not everybody,” Larraine said, speaking slowly and nervously. “Well, the boss is talking to Dominimon, so he’s excused I guess, and you told Heather not to do the exercises, and you never let me do them…”

“…And? Was there anyone else, Rainy?”

“Uh…well…Lilliana still hasn’t woken up from being sick last night, and Alicia’s still with her,” Larraine trailed off. “Also…Isole didn’t show up again…” I rolled my eye.

“Damn it…she’s always skipping out on training!” I left the room and stormed all the way upstairs and barged into Isole’s room. In spite of how loud I was, she did not flinch, as if she were expecting me. She ignored me, however, and continued reading. “Isole, you missed early morning training again today!” I yelled.

“Duly noted,” was all Isole said back to me.

“I can’t remember a single time you’ve ever once joined us!”

“I don’t like getting up early in the morning. Is that a problem?” Finally, she looked up at me. Her eyes were a very pretty shade of brown, but they almost seemed lifeless every time I looked into them.

“...If I were to reschedule some of the training sessions to mid-afternoon, would you join us?” I asked. “…Please?”

“Nope.”

“Isole…c’mon; even that new girl showed up,” I said. “Giselle, wasn’t it?”

“Great. Just another reason not to show up.”

“…You hate her, don’t you? I don’t know why, but—”

“Because she’s a loudmouth,” Isole interrupted. “I don’t like people who talk a lot…or loudly.”

“Well…since you hate her so much, I thought maybe you’d…I don’t know…show up and try to outdo her?” I asked, hoping she would agree.

“Nope. Don’t care for pointless contests.”

“Isole! Being prepared for battle is a matter of life and death!”

“I'm only a tactician. Why is it important for me of all people to be tortured by you?”

“Well...okay, maybe you don’t need it for battle...but it will help you out in life!”

“Tactics are my life. Fat or muscle has nothing to do with tactics and how good one is at them.”

“But...you'll live longer if you train your body. You’ll be a lot healthier, too.”

“I'll be...healthier? And live longer?” she asked. I nodded. “I’ll live longer...so I can spend a longer time with annoying loudmouths like you?!” I stared sadly at Isole. “In that case, I’m going to go stuff myself with all the chocolate cake I can and eat myself into an early grave. See ya, Lucia.” Isole calmly left her room and closed the door behind her, leaving me alone. I looked down at the floor and sighed.They grow up so fast…

Matthew KasutoTrillium Mountains

“…We’ve been here for almost an hour…and we haven’t seen any sign of him yet,” I sighed.

“Don’t look so down, buddy. I’m expecting this to take all day, to be honest,” Sparrow said from atop Moosemon’s back. “Don’t even be surprised if it takes us a few days.”

“…Okay…”

“Don’t worry, Matthew; I’ll make sure none of us freeze to death,” Firamon said. “And I’ll make sure none of the IceGolemon get either of you.”

“…IceGolemon?” Sparrow looked at me. “You mean there are IceGolemon? Here? On this mountain?”

“Yeah…? I thought you knew…” Sparrow looked me dead in the eye.

“Matthew. IceGolemon…are some of the most dangerous species of Digimon there is,” he said very sternly. “They are very intelligent, and they work well in groups of Digimon — even those of differing species — to craft traps to capture prey and enemies.”

“Don’t a lot of Digimon behave that way?” I asked.

“It is highly unlikely that a Digimon like that would consider eating a Human, so that can only mean one thing.” Sparrow paused. “If the IceGolemon captured Lloyd…then it would be because they see him as an enemy. If they see him as an enemy, then they will likely think of us in the same manner.”

“Sparrow…? What are you trying to say?” I asked nervously.

“…If we don’t act fast…we’ll likely be killed,” he whispered. “And it is likely that Lloyd as well has been killed before Heather even came back home. The IceGolemon are a perfect fit for their element; cold and unforgiving.” Sparrow looked back to me. “…Are you certain that you saw IceGolemon here?” I nodded. “
…We may…have to leave here…”

“What are you saying, Sparrow? We can’t abandon Lloyd!” I exclaimed.

“I know, and we won’t, but I don’t think that the two of us can handle a large number of IceGolemon!” Sparrow said. “We have to get out of here before we find any—” At once, large piles of snow flew up into the air. Firamon and Moosemon were tossed into the air; Sparrow and I fell off their backs and into the snow, where more and more piled high on top of us.
“Firamon, help—” I looked over to my Digimon, and saw that both he and Moosemon had turned back into their Rookie levels. The snow continued to pile higher and higher until it was all I could see.

Isole FrostLachesis Fortress30 Minutes

Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked around. My vision was still blurred, so I lifted my head to look around when I was overcome by nausea and a heavy feeling in my stomach that made me feel quite dizzy. “Urrrrp…ooh…where am I…?” Immediately, Lucia was at my side.

“Are you okay, Isole? You’ve been out cold for about half an hour...” She placed a soft and cool hand over my forehead, and brushed my hair away.

“Oh...Lucia...Damn it all...Guess I’m still alive...”

“Well, I’M glad you are.” Lucia helped me lay down, much to my spinning head’s relief. “I found you in the kitchen. “You were out cold, so I carried you up to your room.”

“…You were just so...loud...I was trying to concentrate....I just needed to get away from you…and do something to piss you off, I guess…”

“If you told me that you were busy, I would have left you alone, you know,” Lucia looked down sadly at me.

“...Yeah, I guess...”

“So, what happened?” she asked.

“...I was on my third slice of cake when I passed out. Just ate too much. No big deal, Lucy.”

“...You shouldn’t have done something like that. You have such a little tummy...”

“I—I do not!”

“Well, I guess not at the moment.” Lucia laughed, and placed her hand over my rounded stomach.

“DAMN IT, LUCY!”

“Why did you think something like that would ‘piss me off’?” Lucia asked. Slowly and gently, she began rubbing my belly, and in spite of my inner reluctance, it did feel good.

“Well…you were blathering on about how important it was to be healthy…or some ridiculous bullcrap like that,” I said. I avoided looking Lucia directly in the eye. “I just wanted to get away from you, like I said…”

“Isole…you know I could never hate you,” Lucia whispered. “I’ve only known you all your life, after all…”

“…I know.” I looked up at her, into her sole crimson eye.

“Even though you aren’t actually my daughter, Isole, I’ve raised you as though you were ever since I found you when you were only an infant...You are my daughter,” Lucia giggled. “You were so adorable back then; I just couldn’t leave you behind. And now, you’ve grown up into such an intelligent and beautiful young woman…” Blushing, I looked away from Lucia. “Although, your personality does your last name justice, Isole Frost.”

“Damn it, Lucia; why can’t you just say something nice?” I asked. I sounded angry, but I couldn’t keep myself from smiling. “You go and compliment me, and follow it up with something like that…”

…Well…this is the second time in a week that I’ve woken up after being buried in an avalanche…I should probably work on that. I opened my eyes and quietly sat up. My entire body ached, and I almost fell back down while getting up.

“…Glad you’re awake,” I heard Sparrow saw. I looked up, and saw him standing above me. His back was to me, and his axe was held tightly in both hands.
“Are you okay, Matthew?” Coronamon asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. He had a nervous look in his eyes that was unfamiliar to me.

“…Sparrow? What’s going on?” I asked.

“…Just look around,” he whispered back. Finally, I worked up the strength to stand up, but when I did, my jaw dropped. We were completely surrounded by IceGolemon.

“When we were buried in all of that snow, I think the ground may have opened up,” Hawkmon said. “We seem to have landed in an underground cavern as part of the IceGolemon’s trap…

“I’m going to get you out of here, Matthew,” Sparrow said. “Don’t worry…wouldn’t want to worry Ellie…”

“Well, you’re coming with me!” I retorted. “Because I’m not leaving this place without you and Hawkmon!”

“…Right. Yeah…” Sparrow looked down and smiled at me. “Yeah…we’ll both get out of here together!”

“Just one problem,” Coronamon said. “I…don’t have the strength to fight them, or even to Digivolve…”

“I do, but I don’t think Moosemon is strong enough to win against even one,” Hawkmon added. Sparrow looked at the IceGolemon for a moment. He sighed and looked up. As Hawkmon said, we were in a cave; at the roof of the cave was a large opening where we must have fallen through. Even now, snow was still falling down into the icy cavern. One such clump of snow fell directly in the middle of Sparrow’s face.

“…That…fucking…HURT!” Sparrow shouted. I could hear a few of the IceGolemon laugh.

“It’s just snow,” Hawkmon said. Sparrow wiped the snow off his face; as he did, a spherical object fell to the cavern floor.

“…What is…that?” I asked. Sparrow’s face immediately brightened, in spite of the large bruise on his forehead and his bloody nose.

“…That’s it!” he exclaimed. “That’s what I’ve been looking for!”

“What is it?” Coronamon asked. Sparrow picked up the object, and gazed at it with a look of bewildered elation.

“It’s…a Digi-Egg,” Sparrow said. “I heard there might be a Digi-Egg here on the Trillium Mountains…”

“It’s awfully small for a Digi-Egg,” I commented.

“No, it’s not the kind of egg that Digimon hatch out of,” Sparrow said. “It’s an Armor Digi-Egg; they’re what I use to Digivolve Hawkmon.”

“Care to give it a try to see what I become?” Hawkmon asked.

“Always!” Sparrow held the egg high up above his head. “Digi-Armor Energize!”

"Evil can confuse you when you're staring at it straight in the face. You can hope the face of evil will change, but it won't unless you force it to change."

Chapter 10 - Blazing Courage

Matthew KasutoTrillium Mountains

Sparrow held the Digi-Egg high up above his head and shouted, “Digi-Armor Energize!”

“Hawkmon Armor Digivolve to, Allomon, the Fangs of Courage!” Hawkmon now stood taller than ever, even more so than the IceGolemon surrounding us. Undaunted, each of the IceGolemon crouched down to all fours.

“GEYSER PLUME!” Pure white steam erupted from the backs of the IceGolemon that filled up the cavern in a matter of seconds.

“Matthew, don’t breathe this stuff in!” Sparrow shouted.

“Why not?!” I asked, trying to hold my breath. Without any explanation, Sparrow grabbed me by the back of the shirt and hoisted me and Coronamon up onto Allomon’s back.

“Dino Burst!” Allomon’s mouth opened, and a relentless stream of orange flames spewed out and evaporated many of the IceGolemon.

“Ice Punch!”

“Hang on, everyone!” Allomon said. When a few of the IceGolemon leaped into the air behind us, Allomon twisted around and struck them down with his thick tail. Two of them fell to the ground, and one of them died. The other one got back up without hesitation.

“Geyser Plume!” The IceGolemon blasted us with a steaming shot of water from his mouth. Allomon stood up straight, making sure that none of us on his back were hit by the attack.

Wow…these IceGolemon are tough; I can see why Sparrow was afraid of them, I thought. But with Allomon…hopefully, they won’t be a problem anymore…

“Dino Burst!” Allomon’s flames tore through the IceGolemon’s attack and struck him directly in the chest, instantly killing him. At this point, only three IceGolemon remained. Allomon glared at them, and after a moment, two of them turned to run away. Rolling his eyes, the final IceGolemon jumped in the air, preparing to attack us with another Ice Punch. “Dynamite Head!” Allomon rammed his head into the IceGolemon’s. The ice shattered and his head fell off. The final IceGolemon had died. “…Well, that wasn’t too tough,” Allomon sighed, turning back into Hawkmon.

“Don’t forget; we still need to find Lloyd,” Sparrow said. “For all we know, there could be hundreds more IceGolemon between us and him.”

“In that case, might I suggest that we go further into this cave?” Hawkmon asked. “This den seems to be the dwelling place for those IceGolemon, so I do not think it likely that they thought we would overpower them. Therefore, I have a feeling that Lloyd may very well be here.”

“Right; then, let’s go!” Sparrow led the way through the icy cavern. To my relief, the cavern narrowed into a small path as we continued on, making it seem as though a large IceGolemon would have difficulty moving around much, no less several hundred all at once. The light began to dim from the opening in the cavern, but with the flame on Coronamon’s tail, this wasn’t an issue. After a few more minutes of walking, the path began to widen until the four of us were at the center of yet another cavern. The walls were completely made of ice, and daylight shone through.

“…Where are we? Are we still at Trillium?” I asked.

“…Maybe—” Sparrow was interrupted when a frigid gale made snow fly everywhere, momentarily blinding us. When it ended, a lone Digimon stood before us.

“Well…look who it is,” the Digimon said. “If it isn’t…their child…their descendent.”

“Who are you?!” Sparrow asked. Coronamon and Hawkmon stood between us and the Digimon, holding out their arms to protect us. “Tell us who you are!”

“Hmm…I’d have thought those IceGolemon I threatened into working for me would have torn the four of you limb from limb, yet here you all stand. Not in pieces. If you hadn’t found the Digi-Egg of Courage, Sparrow, you four would have died,” the Digimon said. “…Not that your lives hold any value. It is just one in particular who matters to me, but I just can’t seem to find her; no matter how hard I look, or how long…”

“Start making sense!” Coronamon ordered. The flame on his tail blazed and grew larger.

“Oh, do forgive me. Not introducing myself; how uncharacteristically uncivil of me.” The Digimon turned around to look at us. “I am…the perfect being. I am the apocalypse of which legends speak. And I am, for once and for all, your executioner! You may call me…IceDevimon.” The tall Digimon turned his back to us.

“Ice…Devimon?” I asked.

“…Why do I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before?” Coronamon said to himself. “IceDevimon…”

“Well, it doesn’t matter to me if you know me or don’t. I’m told I have somewhat of a fondness for the spotlight, but the truth is, it would be better for me to lay low,” IceDevimon said.

“…Whatever. Clearly, you’re our enemy if you sent those IceGolemon after us,” Sparrow said. He had a tight grip on his axe.

“Are you really issuing a challenge? Foolish lad.” IceDevimon turned to face us. “I’m looking for something very important to me. I’ve been searching since the formation of this world, when the planet was still young and mankind was just barely crawling out of the mud! But still, I’ve not found it! Time and time again, I’ve been killed and reborn, but still, I’ve no results to show for all of my efforts! Do you have any idea how that made me feel inside?”

“Well, you see…the way things have gone has caused me to develop somewhat of a taste for bloodshed…among other things…” IceDevimon flew up into the air, landing quietly behind us. “I derive the majority of my pleasure from bringing harm to beautiful women. I love hearing their screams. I love…feeling…them…Young Matthew…You’ve a twin sister, don’t you? Tell me about her…if you please…The color of her eyes…The way her hair smells…How soft her skin is…The exact shape of each and every curve of her delicious, womanly body…”

“…No…No!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

“Well, that’s too bad. It’d be no fun to take out all of my anger on you four…when I could simply fly to a village on the other side of the continent and have more fun doing the same to a gorgeous young lass. Men are no fun at all for me to torture or kill, which is why I’ll go ahead and promise not to murder you.” IceDevimon bent his knees to look my right in the eyes. “No, Matthew Kasuto…I’ll just beat you within an inch of your life.”

“Coronamon Digivolve to, Firamon! Fira Claw!” In what looked like an effortless motion, IceDevimon leaned back and out of the way of Firamon’s attack. In doing so, he wrapped his long arms around Firamon’s, and encased my Digimon partner in ice.

“You know, you should be more careful,” IceDevimon remarked. “Hasn’t anyone told you just how dangerous I am?”

“I’ve never even heard your name before,” I said. IceDevimon’s blood-red eyes narrowed, and he glanced at Firamon.

“…Aren’t you worried about your kitten?” he asked.

“No. Firamon’s got flames all over his body. That ice should melt and evaporate in no time,” I said. IceDevimon grinned. Two sharp fangs protruded from beneath his lip.

“Don’t be so sure.” I looked at Firamon, and gasped. The flames covering his body had died out. “Without any oxygen to feed them, the flames have dissipated. Now, he has no way to escape.”

“Digi-Armor Energize!” Sparrow held up what IceDevimon called the Digi-Egg of Courage.

“Hawkmon Armor Digivolve to, Allomon, the Fangs of Courage! Dino Burst!” Once more, IceDevimon swerved out of the way of the attack. Allomon’s attack, however, hit the ice encasing Firamon, making it melt and evaporate. Firamon was left lying down at the center of a cold puddle.

“Firamon, are you okay?!” I asked. My partner’s eyes shot open, and he stood up, unleashing a ferocious roar that shook the earth. The flames on his body erupted with loud pops, further illuminating the already bright room.

“Fira Bomb!”

“Dino Burst!” Both Allomon and Firamon unleashed their attacks onto IceDevimon, but the icy fiend simply stood tall and smirked.

“Tundra Freeze!” IceDevimon’s eyes widened, and unleashed pale blue beams from them that froze Allomon’s and Firamon’s flame attacks solid. The two fireballs fell to the ground and shattered. “Avalanche Claw!” IceDevimon shot up into the air and flapped his wings, sending a barrage of icicles down onto our Digimon. Snow and dust was kicked up into the air, obscuring the Digimon from view.

“Firamon!” I attempted to run after my Digimon, but Sparrow grabbed my arm at the last second to stop me. The dust cleared in a few moments; Coronamon and Hawkmon lay face-down on the ground, covered in cuts and blood. IceDevimon landed on the ground, looking down at the four of us.

“So…this is the extent of your power,” he remarked. “You had me worried. With the reputation your guild has, I’d have expected more out of two of the more experienced fighters.”

“Still…these Digimon did put up more of an interesting fight than I would have ever dared imagine, reputation or no.” IceDevimon looked back up at me and Sparrow. His very gaze sent a cold chill running up and down my spine. “Try not to take that as a compliment, though. The only reason you four are still alive, is because…well…I’m running out of time, and I don’t enjoy rushing my artistic savagery. I’m afraid I wasted far too much time enjoying watching your Digi-slaves struggle and attempt to fight back. I’ve searched these damned mountains for years, but still, no sign of my beloved possession. There’s no more reason for me to linger here, it seems.” IceDevimon smiled, and bowed. His knees were bent in doing so, but even still, he remained taller than us. “As a final act of good will…I will return your friend to you. And fret not…he draws breath still, and his life is not at risk.” IceDevimon snapped his fingers, and an icy-blue flame surrounded the entire cavern. A large block of ice fell down slowly from the ceiling, shattering into dust when it gently hit the ground. At its center was a Human. “Tell him to enjoy the progeny in his wife’s belly, and to be thankful that it is not mine. Mine would have torn its’ way out of her belly at the time of conception. That tends to happen.”

“…No way…Lloyd?!” Sparrow ran over to the unconscious man, and when the dust cleared, I could clearly see the scruffy beard and dark brown hair of my friend, Lloyd Reed. “He’s breathing…my Goddess, he’s breathing! He’s alive! Matthew, he’s alive!” Sparrow exclaimed. From the corner of my eye, I could see Sparrow looking up at me expectantly, but I was looking right at IceDevimon. Or rather, where he hadbeen.

“IceDevimon is gone,” I whispered.

“Oh, who the hell cares about that freak?! Lloyd is alive!” Sparrow repeated. “He’s back! We found him! And now, we can go home! Aren’t you…happy about that?”

“…Yeah…I am,” I said. “I’m just…a little shaken up about IceDevimon, you know?”

“Yeah, that guy was pretty out there. But we don’t need to worry about him any more, okay? He’s only a distant memory for us.”
“…Okay.” I looked down at Lloyd’s body. Coronamon and Hawkmon stood over him, watching him carefully. “Let’s get him home. Back home to Lachesis…and to Heather.”

"Evil can confuse you when you're staring at it straight in the face. You can hope the face of evil will change, but it won't unless you force it to change."